


Death Was His Name

by Moonflower04



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Abduction, Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Kissing, Romance, Soul Split, Stockholm Syndrome, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-18 03:42:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5896828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower04/pseuds/Moonflower04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The monotonous routine of walking home from work never seems to lose its touch for Laney Fischer – especially not when some claim a beheading murderer’s loss in Sleepy Hollow. It was a pathetic rumor created to stir the public. That’s what Laney thought, until she had an encounter with this headless bringer of death himself. Will she survive? And if so, by luck or grand design?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Encounter with Death

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, when I first watched Sleepy Hollow I was extremely captivated with the idea of the Headless Horseman, and his role as Death, so this fic is the byproduct of my fascination. I would also like to thank Shadowmere for all the support and help with this story. If you like the story, there are more chapters on Fanfiction, otherwise you can just wait for the next update in two days. Feel free to leave your comments, questions or concerns, I definitely want to hear what you guys have to say.

Laney pulled her jacket tightly around herself, hoping to keep the chilly autumn breeze out. Fall nights in Sleepy Hollow always meant crisp, skin numbing breezes, mixed with dark walks home.

It was almost a trademark of Sleepy Hollow that the autumn nights were voided of any stars. It was as if a star devouring monster came and claimed them; leaving only inky black sky in its wake. Luckily for Laney the moon still shown in the night sky; bathing the small and gravelly road in fragmented shards of dusty moon light.

Though she loved the beauty of the moon, darkness wasn't anything that she hadn't adapted to by now. Laney had survived in Sleepy Hollow long enough to know: always bring a flashlight, and always wear a wooly fall jacket, unless she wanted to freeze into a popsicle on her walk home from work.

Work. The very thought of her job made Laney sigh.

Laney had been plagued by extremely brutal work days for the last year; they always left her mentally and physically drained. It wasn't ideal to work twelve hours a day, but her student loans had to get paid, as well as the house payment. She didn't particularly love being an accounts receivable clerk for the sheriff's department – but there were worse jobs out there; she was sure of that.

Working with numbers was almost a calling to Laney. Her math skills had been exceptional, and many of her professors had prompted her to go into engineering or something more math based – but her lack of funds had kept her from that. She had waited a few years to go college, and realized how much of a mistake that was. That had forced her into working full time and having to go to school simultaneously. It had been tough – but she had pulled through.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to scrounge up enough money to keep going on for another two years to receive a bachelors degree. Her old grocery store packing job had barely kept her fed and living in an apartment, and she had been swimming in debt from student loans, so Laney had settled with an associates in accounting.

Her new job kept her little cottage styled home warm and filled with food, and there was nothing wrong with that. She had at least accomplished something better than a grocery store clerk, and now she actually had something to her name other than loans. She had a home. It may have been cheap, a little run down and small, but still it was a home.

The small cottage-like house had been a better investment than a car, and it was a smarter financial decision – but the distance from town was a little annoying, especially without that car she desperately needed. Still, the small cottage had grabbed her heart from the moment she laid eyes on it. It was Victorian styled outside, with its white-washed wood siding and tiny porch. It had claimed her very breath. The interior was compact, but cozy with an old red bricked fireplace and delicate wood furniture.

Though it was tiny, it still was homey and warm. Laney didn't need anything else.

The cottage was definitely a fixer-upper. It's curb appeal wasn't breath taking now – but with a fresh coat of paint, some flowers and exotic grasses Laney was sure it could be the little dream escape she was looking for. Her cottage needed some work – but that was exactly what Laney needed, something to work on. Something she could pour her frustrations into, and still feel productive.

It was better than drinking herself silly on the weekends or partying with her well off college friends. Lately work occupied her time and she was unable to find time to hang out with them.

The girls at work had become her new friends, expect for their incessant nagging and fussing about her walking home. The ladies acted as if they expected to see her on the news as the next murdered victim. They made walking home sound like a life ending endeavor in Sleepy Hollow when it was actually quite entertaining. Laney had been walking to and from work for one year and still she hadn't been dismembered. Though, the ladies at work made such a big deal out of her stretching her legs and saving money, they still never offered her a ride home.

Laney didn't even own a car, and they all knew it – but still they snobbishly got in their Cadillacs and drove by without a second glance at her. Their cares for her safety were long forgotten once they were on their way home. It was just annoying now whenever someone would talk about her walking home. Laney would just scoff at them, and internally sneer at their slightly hypocritical concerns.

But the gossip lately had been wild, and juicier than usual, which kept the ladies from concerning themselves with her. They were either talking about the string of murders or Abbie Mills and her new companion, Ichabod Crane. This new Crane character had caused quite a stir in quiet Sleepy Hollow. Since his appearance Sheriff Corbin and Reverend Knapp had been murdered.

Sheriff Corbin and Reverend Knapp had supposedly been beheaded by this homicidally insane, head severing mad man, and it was bone chilling to think about it.

Some of the rumors about this crazy axe swinging lunatic had caused three girls to care about Laney's well being. They had offered to give her rides home, claiming she must be terrified to walk home; and she was. But she refused to take their pity, all she would offer to them was a laugh. Assuring them she was fine, and they would believe anything; it was just a bunch of lies created to get the old folk lore stirring. The police officers had even assured them nothing was going on in Sleepy Hollow.

It had to be true, because reliable intel was a small perk of working in the accounting section at the local Sleepy Hollow Police Department.

Plus, she was sure that it was probably a group of troubled teens looking for attention. The same thing happened about eight years ago, some crazy kids had been beheading animals for attention. It had been pathetic, but she was sure it was a group of teens that decided to take it one step further, and soon they would be brought to justice.

Laney maintained a steady pace, as she passed the set off weeping willow trees. Smiling, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of joy, she was almost home. With that she picked up the pace, and tried to keep herself distracted.

Laney pulled her coat even tighter, as there was a very sudden shift in the air temperature. Her body responded with an involuntary shiver. The breeze just swept through her as of she was a phantom.

The temperature continued to drop, as if something seemed to be unnaturally sucking the life out of the air, leaving behind a deaden, cold empty shell. Everything hung lifelessly in the space around her, and even time seemed to freeze.

Laney stopped in her tracks; she felt cool air creep around her ankles, and quickly her eyes snapped down.

She gasped, as a white swirl of fog rolled across the ground, enveloping her feet in a sheet of thick, wispy vapor.

It was odd – but nothing was too unusual for Sleepy Hollow. Misty fog, it was nothing to freak out about, Laney scolded herself. Still, she found her feet carrying her home faster.

Clutching her work bag tightly to her chest, she almost sensed herself breaking into a jog. The line of willow trees faded from her vision, revealing the old wooden bridge, that led over a small creek. The forest around the bridge was very thick and consisted of some lovely white birches and conifers.

Just slightly past this bridge, Laney joyously thought. She already hated being out past ten at night – but everything seemed slightly more haunting tonight, especially with the cold mist that blanketed the ground.

As she was about to step over the threshold of the bridge, Laney heard something quite curious.

It was a rhythmic sound, like rain beating against a roof – soft and distant. The noise was distinct and methodical, but it became louder and louder with every second that passed.

The more and more she thought about it, the more the sound resembled that of horses' hooves – but that didn't seem to make sense. Who in the right mind goes horseback riding at night, she wondered.

Laney slowly, turned around, and what she saw made her blood run cold.

About two hundred feet behind her was a pure white steed, charging forth with the speed of a god. It's eyes glowed a demonic ruby red, it looked like something out of hell as it's pure white mane fluttered like a flag in the wind – but it was what rode atop the steed that turned her blood to ice.

A headless man adorned in an old red coat, was commanding the horse. He looked as if he had just been ripped out of the ground, stains of dirt were splashed across his jacket. His red coat alone resembled that of a British soldier. Blood was even visible on his uniform from her distance; only because the light of the moon caused it to shine a pale silver.

In his hand he wielded an ancient steel ax; it's very blade blazed a molten orange as if he had just pulled it out of a forge. The ax flowed through the air, leaving behind a trail of misty steam.

What that some sick illusion? It has to be. Laney rubbed her eyes, just to make sure – but nothing changed, except the monster and the horse were closing in on her. She realized then that her eyes weren't deceiving her.

This can't be... She pleaded with herself, praying it was a nightmare, and soon she would wake up still snug in her bed. But the closer he got, the more this whole ordeal became a reality. It's a headless man, and he's carrying a blazing ax... Laney internally shrieked in terror.

Her eyes must have been as large as quarters, and she felt body shake in pure unadulterated fear. Her very breath was caught in her throat, and she swore she was choking.

"Damn it!" She finally yelped in terror, tossing her work bag at the edge of the bridge. She took off in a haphazard sprint. She went straight into the pitch black forest, not even caring what happened to her wallet or house key.

Headless crazy murderer. Run. Run. Run. Those were the only thoughts that seemed to be running rampant through her head.

That's when she heard heavy boots hit the gravel, and she knew the crazy, headless man was on the ground and was persuading her on foot.

He was actually following her and she felt her heart quicken. Trepidation sweeping through her very adrenaline filled body. Being hunted was not her usual evening events, and it was definitely taking a toll of her sanity.

The ground was quite unstable, as she climbed down a trail that snaked along the river. It was never too smart to follow an obvious path, but at this point it was important to put as much distance between her and this 'Headless Horseman'.

It was dark, and the trees obscured the moonlight. The trees themselves only allowed small amounts to fight their way through. Still, Laney felt her shoes narrowly dodging tree roots and jagged rocks. She silently prided herself for breaking her work code; she had secretly wore her black tennis shoes today, and now that small decisions was saving her very life.

But her shoes couldn't entirely save her, as Laney awkwardly stumbled down the hill nearly breaking her ankle on a rock that was poking out. Her ankle burned like acid had been dripped on it. Laney unceremoniously pulled herself back to her feet, and she could feel tears streaking down her cheeks as she ungracefully ran deeper and deeper into the ominous woods.

Jump, bush. Tree, left dodge. Duck, leaves. Laney, tried her best to dodge each, as they bombarded her face. Twigs and branches often rebounded and would scratch her cheeks; she could tell that she was getting cut. Her face felt numb, as did her esophagus from the heavy intakes of air. Her lungs burned – and she didn't know how much longer she could keep this up.

She was no damn athlete, so stop pretending to be, and just give up now – she told herself. But she couldn't, she wouldn't just stop; it wasn't within her nature. Still, she felt really proud of herself. Laney had never been very athletic – but here she was outrunning a crazy lunatic with an ax. For a few seconds Laney felt like Danny from 'The Shining', as she outran crazy Jack Nicholson and his woodcutter's ax, or in this case the headless man with his 'Ax from Hell'.

After a solid ten minutes of running, Laney felt her ankle scream in protest to stop, and she finally did. She leaned against an old birch tree, hoping that would be enough to keep her standing up right.

Her heart was thunder in her ear drums, and her breaths were ragged, which blocking out any sound. Hopefully that headless monstrosity would just give up soon.

A few minutes had passed, and Laney felt her heart beats returning to some normalcy – but her emotions were spiraling down. She was filled with terror and uncertainty.

It seemed those ladies at work weren't wrong after all, she thought miserably – as a wave of fresh tears threatened to spill over. Angrily, Laney choked them down, refusing to let tears get the better of her. Crying wasn't going to solve anything.

She looked down at her swollen ankle, and frowned. Great, this couldn't get any better, first the crazy headless man and now a sprained ankle. Laney stood there leaning against the birch tree for at least five minutes before she considered the possibility that this wild, headless killer wasn't after her anymore.

Still, she stood there in silence. There was not a single sound, or noise of an intruder, other than the cool subtle stream that ran close by. There wasn't a sign that someone or something was out here. Looking around, Laney didn't see anything, until...

She her gaze meandered over to her right toward the river, and she witnessed the outline of a dark shadow, ascending from the water. It looked like a demon that was rising from hell, and she felt a scream rise in the throat.

She witnessed the headless monster pull itself from the water and set forth into the woods once more. His path was locked on her and Laney let out her withheld scream.

This damn monster is rising from the river! How is that possible,she tried to reason – but how could she when it had no head? That defied reason right there.

Laney pathetically attempted to limp away, but the sound of thick, leather boots crashing through the woods were closing in on her, and she knew she couldn't and wouldn't outrun this demon now.

Finally, she felt her foot get caught on a tree root and she tripped onto the icy dirt, face first. The dirt coated her tear stained cheeks. Desperately, she tried to dragged herself a little bit, she contemplated getting up and trying to run away – but she heard the leather boots stop only a few feet away and she knew that this was the end.

This is the end, she was done for, Laney thought. Her final moments were drawing to a close, and all she could think about was her family. Her father, that poor man had already had every conceivable thing ripped from his life, it would devastate him to have one more. She silently wished her father would take her death easily – but she knew he would be destroyed. Hopefully Kate will help him get over her murder and in time they would both heal. It was even a sadder thought that they would never get closure; Laney was sure no one catch this headless demon.

She rolled over in time to see the very headless man hovering over her, with his fiery ax of doom. The whole image of him brought chills to her flesh, making it crawl. His headless body, and the ax of doom, it seemed to bend with the darkness, and even the moonlight. It all spoke of death, and at that very moment, Laney knew that this headless man was death itself.


	2. His Retribution

To say this was the most terrifying moment in her life was an understatement. She was petrified, and speechless – and Laney was almost never too fearful to speak. But this headless monster was hovering over her with a fiery ax, and that didn't leave room for much to say. She had no where to go, no where to run, and no where to hide. She was utterly trapped.

He's a headless demon, and he's going to kill you. She choked back a whimpering scream. The headless man's large and sinister features made her let out an audible gasp. He took a few steps closer, as if he was a lion slowly closing in on his prey. It seemed the beast knew she was defeated, and she had accepted her terms of death.

In the fragmented, pale moonlight she could examine him better. The headless man was tall, and stocky with wide shoulders, adorned with green frills from the British uniform. She could almost guarantee that some professional football players would be jealous of this monster's size.

He was gargantuan, just the way his beefy scarred hand was clenched so tightly to the hilt of his ax set Laney's head reeling.

As his hand gripped on tighter to the searing hot blade, that's when she noticed a very distinct tattoo that had bubbled up on his skin. It was the mark of a bow, with an arrow notched and pulled back. She never would have thought that a dead being could ever harbor a white scar such as a bow. Even on the brink of death she couldn't help but be curious; what could the white scar mean?

She could almost swear his tattoo had some resemblance to the scar she possessed on her arm. But how could that be? She had gotten that scar over fifteen years ago when she fell out of her family's large maple tree. Her father had told her the scar was a sign from God, that he was going to protect her, and most of her life she believed that.

But now, now she wasn't so sure. This monster wasn't being protected from God; he was pretty much the Antichrist. But how could this Headless Horseman harbor a mark similar to her's? She looked at the mark on his hand again, and still she saw the resemblance.

Even on the brink of death, Laney couldn't help but examined the Horseman critically now.

He was demonic; his red coat covered in blood, putrid filth and gravelly dirt. Oddly, his regal black leather boots were spotless, and he looked more like a hell-bringing officer than anything. When she imagined some form of a demon coming after her, she automatically assumed some flaming horned beast, or maybe something from the book The Inferno – but this monster was far from anything Dante Alighieri would write. His book the Inferno spoke of grotesque monsters that would seek retribution for unforgivable sins – but this monster was human, and that was what Laney found scary. It was something more relatable; it was human.

Finally, the monster took another stepped toward her, twirling the hilt of the ax in his crude and dead fingers. It was sinful what this very monster was doing to her, it seemed to live off fear and the look when his victims were confronted with their fate.

She watched as the monster raised his ax wide to the left, preparing to slash it through her throat like butter. But the horseman didn't even drag it across her throat with haste, he just held it above, as if he was toying with her.

Was it enjoying her suffering? She was almost sure if it. Maybe it fed off terror, maybe that was its form of retribution, the fear it drew from the living.

Laney dug her nails deep into the soft, peaty soil; she could feel involuntary tears tumbling down her cheeks – but she was too absorbed with watching the headless man to stop them.

Why doesn't it just kill her yet? She just want this moment to end, so she can move onto the afterlife.

Still, the beast hovered over her, refusing to just simply finish the job by chopping her head off and claiming its next victim. He just stood like a statue, with his ax held over her.

It was a little ironic, but she was starting to get impatient, if he was going to kill her, he should just do it already.

"Just kill me already, you ugly son of a bitch." Laney finally growled, hoping that maybe some foul language might motivate it – but still it just stood there like a statue, like a monument to a murderer.

Laney heard the neighing of a horse in the distance. It seemed eerie, and foreboding that now his demonic horse was here. She saw the white horse weave out of the thick forest and darkness. It galloped through the forest, before rearing its front legs, and swaying its head back and forth.

The horse continued to neigh loudly, and letting out low angry grunts, which seemed to draw the Horseman's attention. He was actually lowering his ax, as if he was losing his interest in her and it was surprising. This was a monster that had been beheading its victims ruthlessly, and now it was ignoring her?

That was when an ear splitting screech pierced the silence that had captured the forest. The hawk swooped over the Horseman, landing in tree nearby. The bird let out another bellowing, loud shriek.

The hawk was a brilliant and silvery brown in the moonlight, it's bright yellow eyes were focused on her. The bird seemed to almost be undressing her very soul, it's eyes were piercing, and she felt as if her was being read like a book. It seemed extremely idiotic to think such a thing, but she couldn't deny the feeling that this bird was protecting her.

It swooped down and flew over the headless man, letting out one last scream before soaring through the forest, dodging trees and branches alike.

The Horseman turned his attention to the vanishing hawk, and she could almost visible see him tense. He lowered the ax, and grasped the reins of his demon horse. She seemed to be forgotten, as he jumped onto his pale steed.

The horse reared in the air, flailing it's front legs forth, kicking at emptiness. The Horseman didn't give her another moment of his time. The monster galloped away, trailing the hawk's path in earnest.

Just like that he was gone, not a second glance, and she was surprisingly not dead. What had caused the Horseman to leave her alive? And why in the world would he have been so enthralled by a hawk? Its very appearance had called his attention, and summoned him away. He had even left her live, which seemed almost out of character for a beheading monstrosity.

Never before had she believed in fate, or signs for that matter, but that hawk... It had come at the precise moment she had needed it. No warnings, it had just appeared. She hated to think that it was fate that brought that hawk to her, but what else could have?

Was this a stroke of luck? Had that hawk just saved her life? Laney wasn't sure. What she could be certain of was, she, Laney Fischer had just survived by chance against a monster, not by sheer strength or cunning, but by luck in the form of a hawk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you guys think of this new chapter? I would love to hear your feedback! Again, thank you for reading! :)


	3. The Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laney Fischer never would have believed in witches or demons, until she was abducted by the Headless Horseman. Sometimes fate is not as it seems, but having the appearance and soul of a colonial witch named Katrina changed her perspective. Now can Laney willingly aid Katrina in her quest to stop the apocalypse, or will exploiting Abraham's feeling and trust prove too great?

Panic raced through her body as Laney rushed along the small path that led to her small home. She tried to unlocked the front door, sadly she was failing to even get the key into the lock. Her hands were too unsteady and her vision seemed to be coming to her in fragments.

Finally, after about a minute of futtling with the doorknob and key, she was able to open the tiny white front door. Laney rushed in, and slammed the small wooden door behind her. She leaned against the closed door and let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. Never before had she felt so blessed to just make it home. She had struggled through some tough work days, but everything paled in comparison to this. Today had been more than just a close call; she had literally been confronted with her death, but she had somehow made it out. She couldn't say it was definitely luck that had brought the hawk to her rescue – but something unworldly had occurred.

Whatever it had been, it had saved her from a cruel death. A cruel death from the hands of an unforgiving monster, one that would plague her dreams for sure.

Laney was finally able to stand on her feet again, but her legs were sore from running, her chest hurt from the amount of beating her heart did, and still she was shaking from being hunted down like a dog. This monster was sure to embed itself in her dreams. She was sure any normal being would have passed out from exhaustion – but she didn't feel tired.

She was too shaken, and she hoped it would wear off soon so she could finally get some rest. Then tomorrow she would decide what to do, if there was anything she could do.

The first thing Laney did was toss her keys and dirty work bag she had recovered onto the table, and then she went straight to her small bathroom mirror to assess the damage that running through the woods often unleashes. Laney looked into the mirror and she felt her jaw drop. Twigs were wildly poking out of her auburn colored hair. She has a plethora of superficial cuts and scratches that covered her face, and her wild blue eyes were still alight with fear. If anyone would have seen her this way they would have easily mistaken her for Jane from Tarzan.

She quickly pulled the sticks out of her hair. Desperately, she ran her brush through her hair, hoping to remove any snarls before they became too severe. After a good twenty minutes of consistent brushing, she was able to turn her hair back into something that resembled normalcy. Laney's hands were still shaking so badly she could hardly control herself.

She ambled into her small kitchen, and went straight for the small liquor cabinet she had. Having some alcohol could do her some wonders, and hopefully calm her frazzled nerves. Unceremoniously, she grabbed a small bottle of vodka, and took four large swigs ignoring the horrendous burn it left behind, as it wiped out a layer of her esophagus. Still, once the vodka hit her stomach she could feel its warmth eating away at her core, giving her a small relief from everything.

Her mind was swirling like a tornado, the whole encounter with the Horseman still seemed to claim her thoughts, even though she tried to block them out. Once the alcohol would take effect, her brain would be duller, and she couldn't wait for it to take affect. The warm buzz of alcohol would steal away her complex problems, even if it was only temporary.

She decided to plop down on her small, old flower patterned couch in the living room and turn on the tiny tube TV. Laney still didn't have the money to upgrade to a flat screen, but eventually she would once her student loans were paid. Flipping through the channels was pretty mind numbing and it brought some comfort to her, until she reached the news channel.

The Sleepy Hollow's main news station still seemed to be obsessed with the murder of Reverend Knapp. The news reporters were still debating what sick and twisted being would chop the head off an innocent, old Reverend. Laney shivered; she now knew who would do such a thing… The Headless Horseman.

Who else could it have been? Most people have a conscience and don't kill priests, but some thing that didn't have a head couldn't possibly have a conscience, now could it?

Laney watched the interviews of churchgoers as they let pathetic tears fall down their face, pretending that they would miss Old Reverend Knapp.

She scoffed at those people. Damn hypocrites… No one knew Reverend Knapp, that man had been more secretive than the FBI. No one really knew him that well, and beyond the sermons he gave he hardly ever spoke. She couldn't stand when people would pretend to care about someone they never gave the time of day to. The hypocrisy was just enough to cause her to chuckle.

Laney could feel the warmth of alcohol taking a firm grip over her, as the light buzz made everything seem slightly more disinteresting. All she wanted to do was just lay on the couch and nap now, finally exhaustion seemed to be conquering over her. She closed her eyes tightly and pulled up a small pillow as she adjusted her head to get comfortable.

She didn't want to think about crazy headless lunatics or dead priests. She didn't want to think anymore in general, all she wanted to do was to fall into an uninterrupted sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Laney opened her eyes, she thought it was morning. Light seemed to be spewing into her eyes, making it impossible to just look straight ahead. Instead she covered her eyes with the crook of her elbow.

It was odd, she could feel a dank breeze whipping against her skin, and she shielded her face from the dust and leaves that seemed to try and plan themselves in her face.

Wait... Leaves? She internally yelped, looking down at the ground. It revealed the old, moldy oak leaves that were beneath her small black Converse shoes.

Where the hell am I? She thought in surprise, Laney swore only a moment ago she had been laying on the couch napping. Unless she started sleep walking into the woods, but she had never been a sleep-walker, so that was highly unlikely.

Laney finally looked forward, and she was surprised by what she saw. She was in a small clearing, where old scraggly birch trees surrounded her. Behind those trees was a blackness that was unfathomable, so deep that if she looked too long she might lose herself in it. She whipped around as a white veiling fog flowed from in between the aging birches.

Slowly, she turned around, for she felt like someone or something was watching her, and her assumption was correct.

There standing behind her, was a woman, adorned in an elegant, yet simple black dress. It resembled something colonial women would wear, plain, yet it had finesse.

Her bronze-red hair was wavy and seemed to flow like ruby waves on an ocean. Not even Laney could break her gaze away from the woman's mesmerizing, yet illuminating blue eyes that seemed to be ripping away at her very soul.

This woman's expression was one etched with woe and slight misery, maybe it had something to do with this demonic place – but the look of sorrow seemed to run deeper.

The more Laney looked at this woman, the more she felt she was almost looking at a reflection of herself. The delicate cheekbones, the russet locks and the deep consuming blue eyes. Their similarity to hers was becoming uncanny, and it was starting to unsettle Laney. Though she wanted to ask about their similar looks, the question never seemed to surface past her thoughts.

She had never found someone that looked like her before – but now, of all times she was face to face with someone who could easily be her twin.

This whole revelation made her want extremely angered. How could she look like someone she'd never seen before? This must be some sick joke her mind was playing on her.

"Who are you, and where the hell am I?" Laney shot out. Wasn't it enough that she had nearly died today? Now she had sketchy, colonial looking woman invading her dreams?

"My name is Katrina Crane, and I've brought you here so I may warn you." Her voice was almost shaky, and that surprised Laney.

"Crane... I've heard that name before. Are you related to Ichabod by chance?" Laney couldn't help but be nosy. It wasn't everyday she met someone with who looked a lot like you, and had the last name of Crane.

"I'm his wife, but that's not why I have contacted you. I need to warn you of what's to come."

"Warn me about what? I already met this Headless Horseman, I don't think things could get any worse." She let out an irritated sigh. She didn't want to think about her encounter with the Headless Horseman again. To her it almost seemed like a dream, and she promised herself she wouldn't let it happen again.

Katrina's eyes became slightly glassy at the mention of the Horseman. "You must find the Two Witnesses, only they can help you understand what he wants. The Horseman's decision to let you live is because of my intervention, and now unfortunately he knows of your existence, which now involves you in this twisted game."

"He knows about my existence, what's that suppose to mean? And what game are you talking about?" Laney was starting to get fed up with all this cryptic nonsense.

"It's a battle against good and evil, and he is the one that controls the Horsemen. He now knows about you, Laney."

"Who is this he you keep mentioning?"

"I can't say his name, for he has imprisoned me here..."

Laney could hear Katrina's words becoming softer and softer, until her voice seemed to fade away. To Laney it seemed as if a type of gravity was pulling her farther and farther away from this red headed woman, as if some vortex was sucking her away. Desperately, Laney flailed her arms out, trying to grab hold of Katrina, but the distance between them had expanded too much.

"Speak the truth, Laney Fischer! For the truth is your only salvation, for only the truth can lead you to the Two Witnesses!" Katrina screamed loudly; the wind shrieked in Laney's ears and for a second she almost thought she was going deaf.

The strong winds blinded her, and she was forced to close her eyes tightly to block out large chunks of dust. She almost swore she felt claws dig into her arm, and all Laney wanted to do was scream. This nightmare was too real for her to handle, but slowly light seemed to filter back into her eyes...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes flickered open, and Laney shot straight up from the couch. She whipped her head around frantically, trying to remember what just happened.

Taking deep and ragged breaths, she tried to stabilize herself, her blood was roaring in her ears, her skin was damp from a layer of sweat, and for the first time in awhile she felt cold and clammy. Long ago, she had been troubled with bouts of endless nightmares, but it had been years since she had received one like this. This one had seemed real, never before had she had conversations in these nightmares, and it was even less frequent when her nightmares and real life seemed to mix.

Laney looked around aimlessly, trying to figure out where she was, and it finally hit her when she saw the TV was still on and the half-empty small bottle of vodka on the floor. She had slept on the couch.

The TV was still babbling away, but it seemed a new story was taking the news station by storm. It involved something about a wild shooting in front of a church caused by man on horseback.

Laney quickly turned to the TV, as she watched the surviving officers give their wild interviews, about the crazy shooter who rode away on horseback and whose face they never saw.

Could this be the Headless Horseman's work again? Is this where he went after chasing her in the woods? He went to try and shoot down some cops? Or was there more to this?

Questions were roaring in her mind like thunder, but she had no choice to calm them. Laney looked over at the clock and noticed the time. The clock read 6:27 A.M. and that made her gulp. She was going to be late for work, there was no doubt in her mind of that. She wouldn't be able to get ready in less than three minutes. She had a half an hour walk ahead of her, and she couldn't possibly go the office in her in showered, and messy state.

Her only option was to call and use her vacation days as to avoid being fired. It was her only option, and that made her cringe; she hated using vacation days for no purpose, still it was better than getting kicked to the curb.

She sprinted into the kitchen, and didn't waste a minute picking up the phone and dialed her boss as fast as humanly possibly. The ringing that followed was enough to drive her insane; she patiently waited for her boss to pick up the phone. After about an a minute of ringing, Laney finally heard the sound of someone picking up the line.

"Hello, this is the SHPD accounting department, this is Jake speaking." Laney heard the familiar soft spoken voice whisper out.

"Hey Jake, it's Laney. I won't be at work today, I'm... Uh. Preoccupied, but I'll be there tomorrow though, just not today."

"Really, Laney? What do you think this is high school, where you can call in sick at the last minute?" She could hear the anger billowing out of his usually soft voice. "This is the only, and last time you'll get away with this."

"Yes, Mr. McKinney. I promise it won't happen again. Have a good day, sir." Laney said, before she heard a click on the other line, which indicated she could finally hang up the phone. Another exhausted sigh was unleashed as she leaned against the wall. Already she was tired, and it had only been a few minutes.

Groggily she looked over at the number next to her phone, and she felt as if some god was playing a trick on her. There, next to her phone, was the number of the Westchester County Police Department.

Living outside the city limits did have its disadvantages, and being forced to call the Sheriffs department might be one – still she needed to tell someone about this.

But if she did, who would believe her? That some headless British Soldier tried to cut off her head? Yeah, if she didn't get locked up in the sanitarium for saying that then she would be surprised. Who the hell would believe that? No detective, that was for sure. No one in the right mind would. Not a single police officer would take that confession into account.

Here she was, trapped. Trapped between a rock and a hard place. Telling the truth or keeping it a secret.

But keeping the Headless Horsemen a secret... Now that was the type of secret that would corrode away at her very soul. Telling the truth about him could save lives, she was sure of that.

Still, she could just keep quiet about this whole thing, or she could report this to the sheriffs department. Not like they had enough to worry about with all these crazy murders. But that odd lady Katrina had told her the truth was her salvation... But when had she started listening to women who entered dreams?

Though, after the horseman anything was possible. But there had been something so cryptic about her words, like if she didn't do this then the very world would fall apart.

Nervously, Laney picked up the phone and dialed the number next to her. She could feel her palms sweating as she clenched the phone tightly.

After about two rings she heard a woman pick up. "Hello, Westchester Police Department. How can I help?"

"I'd like to speak with an officer to report a problem." Laney could barely hear her own voice, her blood was absolutely roaring in her ears blocking out her voice.

"Yes sure, let's see what officer I can patch you through to. One moment." The woman said sweetly, before putting Laney on hold.

She gulp, and for a few moments she wanted to throw down the phone, and run away. Finally after a minute or so she heard the woman speak again. "You're in luck, Lieutenant Abigail Mills seems to be available. I'll patch you through to her. One moment."

Laney bit down on her lip, hard. She could feel butterflies beating against the inside of her stomach. She could hear the ringing as no one picked up, and she left a little fortunate.

This was the moment that could define her very life, if someone picked up she was meant to report it, if not then she would stay quiet.

The line rang longer and longer, and what seemed like another two minutes passed. Laney was about to accept an early surrender and hang up, until she finally heard some one pick up on the other line.

"Lieutenant Mills speaking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for the huge amount of support! It's good to see people are interested in the story so far, that's quite motivating. I'll try and keep the chapters coming. Next chapter Laney gets to talk to Miss Mills! So stay tuned! Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I would love to hear what you guys thought of this chapter, so leave me some feedback! :)


	4. Meeting with the 'Leftenant'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laney Fischer never would have believed in witches or demons, until she was abducted by the Headless Horseman. Sometimes fate is not as it seems, but having the appearance and soul of a colonial witch named Katrina changed her perspective. Now can Laney willingly aid Katrina in her quest to stop the apocalypse, or will exploiting Abraham's feeling and trust prove too great?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, again I just wanted to thank you for the huge amount of support! It's good to see people are interested in the story so far. Final exams will be coming around very soon, so I'll be taking small break to focus on studying, but once break comes I promise I'll have more updates. :)

Laney stood there, not sure what to say; her voice was absolutely trapped in her throat, and desperately she was trying to call to it before Lieutenant Mills hung up. Still her voice alluded her, as it hid in the depth of her throat, and she fought to reclaim it.

"Hello?" She heard a slightly more assertive tone call out through the phone. The once rich and calm sound was now replaced with impatience.

"Uhh.. I have a problem to report..." Laney was finally able to stumble out.

"Who is this?" She heard the officer's sharp voice.

"My name's Laney Fischer, Lieutenant Mills."

"Okay, now this problem? What type of problem are we talking about? Cat stuck in a tree? A small kitchen fire?" She heard Lieutenant Mills question. Her voice didn't sound angry or surprised, just slightly indifferent and maybe a bit mocking.

Laney was about to speak when she heard a quiet voice in the background of Mills' line. "Leftenant, why are you speaking into that contraption?" The voice belonged to a man who sounded quite confused, yet captivated.

"Crane, I'm taking a phone call, can you keep it down?" She heard the Lieutenant's muffled voice.

"It's only the two of us Miss Mills, there is not another soul around that you could possibly be communicating with, other than myself." Again, Laney heard the voice of a man with a British accent. He seemed to be standing very close to the phone, for she could hear his voice clearly. Laney had to hold back a chuckle, who doesn't know what a phone is?

"Crane, I'll explain later just let my take this call." There was a small pause before she heard the Lieutenant's voice again. "So, what was this problem you wanted to report?"

Laney could feel her palms sweating profusely. "I… I had a run in with a possible murder suspect, and I wanted to report this." She choked out, and for a second she almost hit the end button. Could she really go through with making this crazy confession? She was starting to doubt herself.

Lieutenant Mills was silent for a few seconds, as if soaking in the information, before her voice cut in again. "Okay, well where, when, and what did he look like?"

"Well, it happened last night. I was walking home from work, and this man… came and almost killed me." She felt absolutely terrified, not because she was thinking about the encounter again, just the thought of saying this out loud was killing her.

There was another long pause, Laney was sure it only lasted a few seconds – but to her it felt like an hour. "Okay, did you see what he looked like?" The Lieutenant asked, this time she sounded slightly more intent, and drawn in.

Now Laney was shaking, this was the defining moment, where either the truth would help, or damn her to hell. She hardly believed that she was trying to safely bet on the advice of a woman she met in her dream. A woman that had oddly looked like her, maybe that was the reason she was trusting this woman, because of her resemblance. Whatever it was, Laney still felt she could trust this Katrina Crane, even if she wasn't real.

"You're going to think I'm crazy… but this man had no face… and no head for that matter either. He was going to kill me with this glowing axe! But then, he refrained, because a hawk came and he followed it away! I know I must sound crazy but it's the truth, entirely the truth. Please you have to believe me... I'm not crazy!"

Silence. Laney was met with a long and terrible silence, that seemed to conquer over the very line. Speak, please, pleaded in her head; all she wanted was for Lieutenant Mills to say something. Anything. Just anything would do, something that could make her feel less crazy.

All Laney could hear was the roaring of her own blood, and the sporadic nervous beating of her own heart. Her palms were sweating, and for a bit she was sure that Lieutenant Mills was probably debating whether she was crazy or delusional, or whether she should take her to the sanitarium.

Finally after about a minute of solid, uninterrupted silence, Lieutenant Mills spoke. "We need to talk. The Sleepy Hollow Police Station, nine o'clock, be there." Laney heard the other line break, and then it was silent once again.

Quietly, Laney set down the phone, and that's when she was thoroughly convinced she was going to the asylum. Lieutenant Mills didn't buy a word she had said. She probably thought she was deranged, and now she was going to have her mentally assessed just to prove it. This was the last time she would take advice from a stranger she had met in a dreams. No matter how trustworthy or desperate they asked. She would never take advice from her subconscious, or her figurative imagination or whatever Katrina was.

Well, at this point she had no way to refuse not showing up to the police station. She almost wondered what would happen if she didn't show. Would they hunt her down? Throw her in jail? She wasn't sure - but neither option sounded pleasant.

Laney sighed, she still had to show up, and she wasn't even remotely ready at all. She frowned at the clock, and relaxed once she realized she had two hours. That was more than enough time for her to figure out what to do and how to get there.

It had been a good hour of scrubbing dirt and mud off, as well as viciously brushing her hair again, but she had managed to fully clean every ounce of her body. Though she hadn't found the will to dress fancy, she was hoping that blue jeans, Converse shoes and a black leather jacket would suffice.

Laney nervously climbed out of the taxi she had been desperate enough to call. She had wanted to be picked up; it was safer. Plus now that some headless manic could spring out and finish the job, she didn't feel quite safe walking around. Maybe having her head chopped off would be better, especially if she was bound to land herself in a lovely padded room at the asylum.

She examined the police station; it was odd to think she worked here. Everytime she walked in she was so absorbed with thoughts of business and number crunching that she often missed the whole big picture of working at a police station.

The building looked like most stations, a big brick box with swarms of bustling police officers, weaving in and out of the complex. Slowly, Laney made her way in, and down the hall where officers were charging around, pushing past her. They seemed to be in a rush for some reason, though she wasn't quite sure why.

She started toward Captain Irving's office to ask about Lieutenant Mills, until a certain officer who she wasn't quite in the mood to see stepped in front of her... It was Luke Morales here to badger her once again...

Luke was holding his usual cup of coffee in hand, and of course he had to have a cocky and arrogant grin slapped across his face.

Laney scowled, and in returned tried to push against the wall to scoot past.

Of course, he casually leaned against the wall further blocking her escape. The other side of the hall was packed with officers run away down the hall, and if she dared step in front of them she was sure to get trampled to death.

His smirk only grew as she grimaced in response. He really enjoyed being such an annoying jerk.

"Hey Laney, I heard you were off today, so what brings you here? Just can't get enough of work, can you? Or does someone like myself just make this place so irresistible?" Again he flashed her the most overconfident smile, and ran his hand through his short black hair. He was really such a cocky ass, and Laney knew the only way to put him in his place was through cold rejection.

"Oh, you only wish you were irresistible, no one could pay me enough to come here to spend time with you. No, I'm here to speak with Mills, do you know where she is?" Laney gave him a very piercing and serious stare.

"Why do you have to be so cold Laney? You know we would have such fun, if only would go out to coffee with me." He really couldn't resist asking for the second time this week. Ever since Mills ended it he had been desperate to show he was better off without her, so asking women out was his pathetic solution.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like being around cocky jerks. Now, do you know where Mills is?" Laney pressed, hoping that he would finally pick up on her disinterest in his offer.

"Ouch." He brought his hand up to his heart if only to over exaggerate his pain. "Fine, maybe another time then?" One of his eyebrows shot up and he smiled wryly. "As for Mills, I really don't keep a tab on where she is, but I'm guessing she's with our Little British Time Traveler." He exemplified by rolled his eyes, it was obvious he had a certain grudge against him.

"You mean that Crane fellow?" Laney asked confused. Little British Time Traveler? What was that suppose to mean?

"Precisely. He just shows up saying he fought in the American Revolution and instead of landing in the asylum, now he's working with Abbie. I just don't get it." Laney could tell Luke was biting back an angry growl.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "It sounds like you're jealous that he's spending time with Abbie." Laney smiled coyly.

Luke shook his head, "I'm not jealous at all. You think I'm jealous of him?"

"Well, I really don't have time to debate your feelings. I have a meeting to attend," and just like that Laney finally pushed herself passed Luke. She bumped into another officer while making her escape, but she kept going.

She could feel Luke's eyes digging into her back, but she didn't care she needed to find Lieutenant Mills. She pushed her way down the hallway, and as she reached the end of the hall that was when Laney saw her.

Mills was standing there with a tight leather jacket, dark blue jeans and high boots that made her look much taller. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail that was draped over one shoulder. She seemed to intensely talking with a very tall gentleman who was wearing a blue jacket, thin tan pants and very stylish looking black leather boots. They both hadn't seen her and so she debated whether she should approach. She didn't want to impose, and it looked like they were locked into a very heated debate.

Laney stood there for a few seconds, but finally she decided it was best to approach. Nervously, she made her way up to them, before stopping. They both noticed her, and turned to look at her. She noticed the tall gentleman's eyes widened to about the size of quarters, he seemed quite surprised, but Lieutenant Mills eyed her suspiciously.

"Who are you?" She asked, her tone wasn't quite friendly or entirely hostile, it was more guarded than anything.

"I'm Laney Fischer, you asked me to come here to meet you..." She trailed off.

"How did you know it was me? I've never met you before?" The Lieutenant asked again, her voice was crawling with suspicion, and Laney noticed Mills' hand slowly go toward her gun.

"I work here. I've seen you before." She gulped. "I swear, I'm not trying to fool you." Laney could feel her mouth growing dry, she wasn't quite sure what was going on. She really wasn't sure why Lieutenant Mills was grabbing for her gun; she wasn't even armed.

"I believe we can trust her word, Leftenant." The tall gentleman cut in with his very refined British accent – though he had such a regal stance with his arms tucked behind his back – his expression was surprisingly gentle. "My name is Ichabod Crane, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He even bowed a little, and Laney couldn't help but smile, it was nice to see some men still have manners, unlike Luke. "You look quite similar to someone I hold quite dear." Ichabod gave her a light smile.

Laney then remembered Katrina was Ichabod's wife, and it all made sense why he had been so surprised upon her arrival. She probably reminded him of Katrina. It felt quite weird to look like someone else, it felt as though her very identity had been stolen.

"Nice to meet you Ichabod. Now, why did we need to talk in person?" She asked quietly, this was all really confusing.

"You said you saw a Headless man, and he let you live?" Mills asked seriously, her face was more relaxed, but still had a serious manner to it.

"Yes. He attacked me by the old Cedar Bridge, but a hawk stole his attention away."

It seemed Mills was about to speak when Ichabod cut in. "This hawk you insist on seeing, was it brown with a creamy tail?"

"Yeah, if I remember correctly." She replied simply; she saw Ichabod shoot Lieutenant Mills a very odd look. It seemed they were withholding something from her.

"Well, that's why you're here, Miss Fischer." Ichabod said. "For we haven't met anyone that has survived the Horsemen's wrath thus far."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Definitely leave me some feedback about this chapter, because I really want to hear your thoughts. :)


	5. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laney Fischer never would have believed in witches or demons, until she was abducted by the Headless Horseman. Sometimes fate is not as it seems, but having the appearance and soul of a colonial witch named Katrina changed her perspective. Now can Laney willingly aid Katrina in her quest to stop the apocalypse, or will exploiting Abraham's feeling and trust prove too great?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am here with another installment. I hope you enjoy the talk between Laney, Mills and Crane!

Mills lead her into a very small room, and it resembled an interrogation room, but less formal. There was no thick see-through glass or cameras. It was just a metal table and chairs. Laney and Mills sat down, but Crane decided to be more active and pace around the table in a restless fit.

The Lieutenant just stared at Laney. Her eyes were like dark pools that pierced through every defensive layer ever put up. Every layer she had constructed to protect herself from the pain. The pain of her mother's death. The pain her sister Kate had inflicted on her long ago when their mother died. And the pain of almost losing her father to depression. It was as if all her walls were crumbling under the Lieutenant's unforgiving stare. Was she really this mistrusting? Laney had done nothing to deserve this type of wariness.

Laney's hands gripping onto the metal arms of her chair, this was highly uncomfortable, being scrutinized. This felt like the seventh circle of hell, and all she wanted to do was sink into the concrete floor.

It was Crane who was the first to break the tense silence. "You affirmed a hawk came to your defense against the Horsemen, correct?"

"Yes. A hawk. I don't understand why the Horseman would be interested in a hawk though."

Her confession seemed to trouble Crane. His blue eyes seemed to be filled with uncertainty. His eyes wandered toward Mills. "I deduced that Katrina had sent the hawk to guide me to the Horseman's skull. I stand corrected. It seems this hawk is from... other means."

Laney's eyes widened. She had completely forgot about her dream and warning from Katrina. Maybe this was why Katrina had revealed herself to her. To gain Ichabod's trust.

"I-I think the hawk was Katrina, because she visited me in a dream last night. She told me to find the Two Witnesses, and that the only way to find them was to tell the truth."

"What?" Ichabod murmured in shock. "Katrina visited you in a dream?"

It seemed she had finally caught Ichabod's full attention.

"Wait." Mills interjected. "How do you know she's telling the truth Crane? She could be one of the Horseman's follows? She could be just like Brooks."

Ichabod locked eyes with Mills, and for a second Laney swore she saw a little friction between them. "There is no way to be certain, but her reference to the Two Witnesses. There is a correlation between what she has stated and what has transpired. We cannot simply ignore her claim, Katrina lead her to us for a reason."

The Lieutenant nodded. "You might be right. I don't doubt it. If your wife thinks she's important then she must be. She wouldn't tell her to find us without reason." For the first time Laney saw a tiny smirk crawl onto the Lieutenant's face. "So, how was you little run in with the Horseman? It must have been terrifying to say the least. I near lost it when I saw him the first time. Well, that and I had to deal with Corbin's death."

At the mention of Corbin's death Mill's smirk dropped, and was replaced with a deep frown.

Just from the look on Mill's face it was apparent that Sheriff Corbin had been close to her, and Laney knew what it was like to lose someone close.

"I'm sorry about Sheriff Corbin. We heard all about it in the accounting department." Even though she tried her best to console her, Laney knew her words meant nothing. Talk was cheap, and superficial. Words were never enough to heals deeps wounds. She had learned that lesson the hard way when her mother had passed away.

The Lieutenant shot Laney a silent look of gratitude. "How was it, getting chased by the Horseman? I can hardly believe he would let someone like you live." Mill's obviously didn't want to dwell on her lose, so Laney obliged by moving on.

"I've never been so afraid in my life." She admitted. "There was a moment where he had me in his grasp. He could have killed me but–" she stopped.

It was true, there had been a moment where the Horseman could have killed her. A moment where there had been no distractions: no demonic horse and no hawk. He could have killed her, but he didn't. He could have beheaded her like all his victims before her, but he hadn't.

She couldn't explain why the Horseman had stopped and not killed her right away. She didn't know why he had hesitated.

Mills was intently staring at her still, awaiting for her to continue, and even Ichabod was paying attention to her retelling of the event. She knew she had to tell them what happened, but if she told them the truth, would they still trust her? Or would they regard her as the enemy? Would they believe the Horseman had spared her for a malicious purpose?

The truth will lead you to the Two Witnesses.

Katrina's words rang in the back of her mind like bells, and once again she took a leap of faith. She hated entirely trusting someone she didn't know, especially a pilgrim looking woman she had met in a dream. But Katrina had safely guided her this far.

Laney gulped. "He hesitated to kill me. The Horseman could have chopped off my head, but instead he stood over me with his fiery axe, and then left to follow the hawk. He… He spared my life, I guess."

A thick silence rested in the air. Ichabod stood there as rigid as a tree, and Lieutenant Mills looked completely shocked. They both just looked at her as if she had just turned into a ghost and was threatening to haunt their dreams for eternity.

"What?" Lieutenant Mills was the first to break the silence.

"Yes. The Horseman spared my life. I know it sounds crazy, but he had more than enough time to kill me. Heck, he probably had enough time to kill me multiple times." She hesitated again before continuing. "I know it sounds crazy and you could probably lock me up in a padded room for talking like this, but it's the truth. Katrina told me that telling the truth would lead me to the Two Witnesses, so I'm just going to continue to keep speaking the truth."

Crane looked over at Mills again, there was a non-verbal exchange between the two, but she couldn't figure out what. Finally, Crane spoke.

"What a contradiction. Death has spared your life." Ichabod looked at Mills again. "Can we confide in her what we have concluded Miss Mills?"

"I don't see why not. It seems that the Horseman and Katrina have landed her a spot in this disastrous mess."

Ichabod turned back to her, his hands still placed behind his back in a stern pose. "Miss Fischer. Lieutenant Mills and I have come to the conclusion that this Headless Horseman is one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, and he has been resurrected by something more sinister to bring about the end of the world. Lieutenant Mills and I have been tasked to stop him from this sinister being from doing just that."

There was a slight pause before Ichabod continued. "I might have excluded a minor detail. We, Miss Laney Fischer, are the Two Witnesses you have been searching for. It seems your quest from Katrina is complete."

Lieutenant Mills smiled. "Yes. Welcome to our insanity circle, Laney. Were glad to have you along."


	6. Witchcraft is Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laney Fischer never would have believed in witches or demons, until she was abducted by the Headless Horseman. Sometimes fate is not as it seems, but having the appearance and soul of a colonial witch named Katrina changed her perspective. Now can Laney willingly aid Katrina in her quest to stop the apocalypse, or will exploiting Abraham's feeling and trust prove too great?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, things are really going to pick up starting this chapter, so please leave me your thoughts. Important things will be revealed, and starting now there will be weekly updates because I've gotten ahead on this fiction. Again, I want to thank all you lovely readers, reviewers and supporters!

Never in her life would Laney have believed her tiny, disorganized, hellish office would ever bring her any form of comfort – until this moment. After what Crane and Mills had said she needed anything familiar to keep her sane. Her very thoughts were moving a million miles an hour, and she could barely keep up. The ideas of demons and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse existing was a hard one to tackle – and it was definitely taking its toll on her.

She was alone, with her doubt and shattering sanity. Oh, how splendid this all turned out.

Mills and Crane had left her here at the Station – duty awaited them. In truth, they had been patiently waiting Captain Irving's call, something about getting a guilty confession from someone named Brooks. She had barely been able to pay attention at that moment. Not when everything she had thought was safe about Sleepy Hollow had been ripped away from her.

Just yesterday if someone would have expressed the belief of demons, sinister forces, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse running around in Sleepy Hollow, she would have been raucous with laugh and then called the police for help from a mentally disturbed individual. Demons, and evil horseman, real? It was laughable. The thought would have been absurd, lunacy, and complete bullshit – yesterday that is.

Now it was real. She couldn't convince herself otherwise. Not after seeing the Horseman for herself, that malevolent headless monster. That headless monster that supposedly encompassed the very meaning of Death.

The same monster that had spared her life.

This monster was death. His name was even Death. But in the wake of death, he let her live? How was that not insanity in itself?

She let out a pathetic chuckle. If he had killed her things would have been simpler. She wouldn't have to contend with this madness.

Laney laid her head on her desk and tried not to think. Thinking had become a painful endeavor.

Deep down she couldn't even remember the last time she had a decent rest, and she didn't count last visions of Katrina very restful.

All she wanted now was for her mind to become numb. She just wanted to drift off, so she didn't have to face the reality that demons and headless monsters were real.

She didn't want to think about having to help Mills and Crane fight them, but that was now her purpose. She had to help stop these monsters with them.

It's not like she had any training, nothing close to Mills who was a cop. Even Ichabod was more skilled than she. He was an ex-soldier of the American Revolution and a historian – not to mention his command of biblical knowledge. He was by far more qualified than her.

All Laney had to offer was her accounting knowledge and she at least knew the basics of shooting a gun, nothing extravagant. Unless they were looking for someone to use number crunch to kill the Horseman, she was useless. But supposedly her knowledge of the Horseman set her apart, and her knowledge of the Horseman was pretty close to nothing.

There was nothing special about her, nothing. Her skills meant nothing to Mills and Ichabod, if anything her presence would turn into a hindrance. Her athleticism was lacking, well it was equivalent to any person who had given up high school sports years ago.

She let out an exhausted sigh. Silently closing her eyes, hoping to shut her brain off, and allowing her muscles to relax. There was nothing more she wanted than to let sleep fall over her like a spell.

The sound of people talking in the office and the noise of the printers began to fade into the background, and sluggishly Laney found sleep pulling her away from reality.

Groggily, Laney opened her eyes, and once again she felt shock grip her heart. She was standing in an old small church. Her confusion was beyond anything she had felt before.

Why was she in a church?

The last things she remembered was falling asleep in her office. How could this be?

She felt as if this place was familiar, the whole aura of dark and forbidding made her feel like this wasn't the first time she had been here. Maybe this was the same world Katrina had brought her to? If it was, she was going to scream. She didn't want to spend another minute with the crazy pilgrim-lady that haunted her dreams.

Every time sleep claimed her she was plagued by dreams of this dim world, was this going to last, or was this a new torment brought by this Horseman?

Laney looked around and realized the church was empty. The altar was bare, except for a few dull tapestries. Stained glass was above the altar, which allowed filtered beams of light to shine through – making the dust in the air visible.

This whole place was disgusting. The benches were dusty and barren. White clothes littered the floor. It looked like a stereotypical old southern baptist church; it was ominous to say the least.

That's when she noticed a lady in a black dress lighting candles by one of the windows. Her russet colored hair was very distinct and familiar, as was her stature.

It was Katrina.

Great. Was she ever going to find peace, Laney wondered. Or would she always be plagued by this crazy lady who spoke in riddles?

Why at this point she would prefer the Riddler from Batman over Katrina. At least the Riddler would entertain her – and not act like the world was bound to end if she didn't do something about it.

Katrina finished lighting her candle before turning to face Laney. Her eyes were glassy and the look on her face was solemn. "I have summoned you here."

"I gathered that much." Laney sat down on one of the ancient, grimy church benches. "Is there something you needed to tell me? More doom and gloom I assume." She smiled at her little pathetic rhyme.

Katrina walked closer and sat next to her. "I'm sorry for what I have to tell you. It will not be comfortable – but you must know the truth."

Already Laney didn't like the sound of that. So this was more doom and gloom? Damn it. She had gotten hopeful that Katrina would praise her for finding the witnesses so fast or maybe give her another small heads up.

All Laney could do was nod. Her voice seemed to be failing her.

"Long ago I was a witch in Sleepy Hollow. I was part of group named the Sisterhood of the Radiant Hearts. They participated in stopping demons and protecting the virtues of this world from corruption."

Katrina's eyes become more glassy by the second, and Laney began to fear she might start to cry. She was awful at dealing with others pain. It always ended the same, people would bat her away and cry harder –but Katrina held up her resolve.

"In battle, Ichabod fell to the beast of Death after removing his head. In that moment they were bound in a tie of blood. This tie to Death would allow Ichabod to arise with Death, when Death was summoned again. But Ichabod would only rise again if I were to place a spell on him, so I did. My beliefs were not accepted in my Sisterhood."

She paused momentarily to look at Laney more carefully. Her features were still as solemn as ever, but her dull blue eyes held a certain murkiness in them.

"My fellow Sisters lost faith in me, for more reason than one, and they shunned me from their Sisterhood shortly after I cast the spell on Ichabod. They wanted to destroy him because of the ties he has to the Horseman, but I believed Ichabod could stop Death. I still do."

Katrina looked down at her dress to avoid eye contact. Laney had seen shame embedded in her dark blue eyes. It was odd seeing someone she hardly knew show her shame so openly.

"I knew the Sisterhood would not stop their search for him. If Ichabod was to be found and destroyed there would only be one person to stop the Horseman – the other witness – Abbie Mills. To counter this possible outcome, I split my soul before I died–"

"Whoa." Laney cut Katrina off. Her head started to spin, and things seemed to slowly come together. It was no coincidence she looked like Katrina, was it? It was no coincidence Katrina could walk in her dreams freely, was it? "Are you suggesting something?" Laney asked, trying her best to control her voice.

"I'm telling you the truth. I split my soul long ago, and since then I've been waiting for this person to be born. I waited hundreds of years, so long I feared the spell failed. It was twenty-six years ago my hope was renewed when my soul was finally connected to a human form."

Again, Katrina paused to look at her. Laney was no fool. The look on Katrina's face was one of uncertainty.

"My soul was bound to you. I've patiently awaited the moment for you to assume the mantle you were created for, to help stop Death. You must help Miss Mills and Ichabod stop the Four Horsemen."

Katrina was looking at her, searching her face for anything, but Laney was too numb to care.

Never before had she felt so used. Her very life felt like a lie in that moment. She had been living for twenty-six years with the soul of an ancient women. Did she even have her own soul, or had she been borrowing this whole time? And now Katrina tasked her with stopping Death? This was unreal.

She didn't even feel like herself anymore. She felt like she had stole someone else's life. She didn't even belong anymore. Katrina was the one who was supposed to stop this apocalypse, not her. But instead she was trapped with the soul of a... Witch?

"I-I don't know what to say..." Laney whispered. "So, I'm borrowing your soul?"

Katrina nodded. "I will not be returning to the living. My soul is yours, you and I are one. I still have a fraction of my soul here in Purgatory, but you wield most of it." Katrina grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"But you want me to stop Death! If you forgot, without your intervention with that hawk, I would be dead. I can't defeat Death. Ichabod said it was impossible himself." She refuted, there was no way she was going to believe that she could stop Death.

Death was immortal. Death was indestructible. Death was everlasting. Death was a continuum! There was no way she could stop him.

Why couldn't Katrina have tasked her with something easy at first? Like fighting some weak, pathetic demon? Or the boogie man? Why did it have to be Death right away? Couldn't she have worked up to him?

Katrina gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. "You are strong, Laney Fischer. My soul came to you because of your willpower. You are more powerful than you wish to believe."

Laney felt as if her skull was going to break in half. She shook her head viciously; she wasn't strong. She had a pathetic sense of humor. Her life was a mess. Her family was a mess. She was weak and prone to depression. She had not a single attribute of a strong human being.

Katrina was wrong. She was weak. There was no way she could defend anyone from Death. There was no chance in this universe she could stop Death. Death was inevitable.

"No, you're wrong. I'm weak. I've always been weak." Laney choked out – her own resolve was slipping through her fingers. "I've been broken since my mother died. I-I can't stop Death. Death has ruined part of my life. How can I stop him when he's always defeated me? Please don't ask this of me."

"You have my powers, the gift of magic runs through your blood. You are a witch. It will protect you, and aid you in stopping Death. Ichabod and Abbie are the Two Witnesses, they are bound in duty to stop Him. Hecontrols Death. The three of you are united in this task, but you must be the one to destroy Death."

Laney looked at Katrina suspiciously. That was the third time Katrina had mentioned this being she preferred to call Him. "Who is this Him?" She asked curiously.

She could see the discomfort that it brought to Katrina at the mere mention of this being's title. "I cannot say His name aloud, not here. This is his realm and saying His name will summon him."

Laney nodded. She looked down at her hands, and that's when it hit her like a ton of bricks.

She was a witch.

Katrina had even admitted it. It was mind numbing. She was a witch. A being with magic flowing in her veins. Had she always been this way? It would explain a few anomalies that had happened in her life, and now she found herself curious.

"I'm a witch then?" Laney kept her gaze down on her hands.

"Yes. Magic passes through the blood or the soul. You will have to learn, and it takes years to command, but maybe my command of it has passed through my soul. I know little of your skill of magic, and what has passed through to you."

"I can't be a witch. That will only bring trouble. Magic is only bound to destroy me."

"Not if you learn to harness it. Magic can be used for good, as it can be for evil. There are good witches hidden throughout Sleepy Hollow. Maybe ask Abbie, her dear Sheriff knew a few."

She didn't like the idea of being a witch. It sounded like a great way to draw the attention of demons and other sinister creatures – and that's the exact opposite of her intentions. Plus finding other witches sounded dangerous.

Still, magic could be useful. It would finally give her a powerful skill she could offer to Mills and Crane, if she learned to control this gift. Maybe this was her way to destroy the Horseman? Using the magic Katrina had given her could be a good thing, she supposed.

Laney looked up and gave Katrina a weak smile. "A witch, eh. No warts and green skin?"

She could sense Katrina was about to respond to her smart ass comment, but in that moment a loud bang resonated through the church.

Katrina's eyes shot to the door with a look of terror. "He's found us! You must awake, now! He mustn't get you."

Another bang sounded from the door, but this one was more urgent, and soon the door was shaking violently. Laney felt waves of fear rolling through her. She backed away from the church doors. Katrina defensively stepped in front of Laney.

That was when the church doors flew open, Katrina vanished, and there standing in the doorway was the Headless Horseman. His fiery ax alight, and his stature as dangerous as before.

Laney held in a silent scream of terror. This Horseman was hell bent on torturing her with his presence. She backed up as far back as she could, until her back hit the wall.

The Horseman took quick, brisk, yet heavy steps toward her, and he was half way across the church, until he seemed to start evaporating. His form began to transform into a cloud of mist, until he had dissipated. But as he disappeared, everything else around her turned into a heavy fog that was being lifted.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and she was greeted with the sight of people hovering over her. She was laying on the cold floor of her office, and a group of people were looking down on her.

What the hell was going on? Why were people in her office? Why were they looking at her?

She didn't recognize anyone. Not a single soul. They all looked like cold, unforgiving strangers, everyone except Luke Morales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you guys think? There is witchcraft brewing in Sleepy Hollow... Next chapter there will be little hints of the romantic subplot that I've been concocting, for all those who enjoy a little romance in their stories, so stay tuned! Please leave your feedback from this chapter, I'm honestly dying to hear it! Again, thanks for reading. :)


	8. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monotonous routine of walking home from work never seems to lose its touch for Laney Fischer – especially not when some claim a beheading murderer's loss in Sleepy Hollow. It was a pathetic rumor created to stir the public. That's what Laney thought, until she had an encounter with this headless bringer of death himself. Will she survive? And if so, by luck or grand design?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for not posting anything recently, it's been a hellish semester so far. Still, I have the next installment done, and hopefully it will answer some questions that are lingering.

Aching pain, a persistent aching, ravaging pain, sent Laney's hardly conscious mind into chaos. It felt like her head was being split in two. Her right temple, she was sure was about to burst. Maybe an aneurysm was just what she needed to break this wrathful headache. Even the drumming of her own heart was resonating in her skull, driving her to the brink of insanity. She wanted to scream out in pain, to let the world know she was suffering – but she couldn't. Her mouth was bound and gagged.

Darkness. That was all she saw. Through the blinding pain she could feel a cloth wrapped around her head. She was blindfolded too? Could things get any bleaker? Well, if she was suspended over a vat of lava maybe – but for all she knew she was over a vat of lava.

It was sluggish, but piece by piece she started to register other parts of her body. Her hands were bound apart, if she had to guess they were tied to separate arms of a chair. Waves of nausea hit her hard, and for a second she wanted to vomit – but she bit her tongue, forcing any bile to sit in her stomach.

That's when she noted her legs were bound to the chair too. Well, this was as bleak as she predicted. Maybe falling into a vat of lava wouldn't so terrible.

Her heart was starting to beat erratically; she could hardly control her fear anymore. _What was this about?_ Where was she? Why did this happen to her? Was she caught up in some sex trafficking operation!

Slowly, very slowly, at the pace of a snail pieces started to come back. _The coffee shop. Luke Morales. The bathroom. Mr. Bäcker. The Chloroform. Passing out._

Yeah, this was bad. There was no around that fact. Any moment that mongrel music teacher could come and killed her, or worse... She suppressed the worst in the back of her mind – even if she knew it was a likely possibility.

On the bright side, there was a small chance that Luke had figured out what happened. She had left her things there, so that would have been a sign that she hadn't left intentionally. Even someone who wasn't a cop could take that as a clue. She prayed that the one other person at the store had seen her. Maybe the person in the bathroom had heard the whole thing.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Laney heard footsteps approaching her, there were more of them. She could pick out at least three other pairs of heavy footsteps. These must be men – or really muscular and heavy-set women, which was unlikely.

Her heart was hammering against her ribcage, and she was sure it was loud enough for her captors to hear. She pressed her lips together to try and diffuse her stress, but nothing seemed to work.

Voices, angry voices starting muttering in German back and forth. Sharp. Distinct. Brooding.

_German_? When had there started being a large amount of German spoken around Sleepy Hollow? She didn't remember hearing about a new German mafia either? So, who were these radical German captors?

They were still arguing about something in German and this made her more nervous than ever. She had no idea what they were discussing, for all she knew they were planning on killing her right now.

Finally, the voiced ceased – but she heard footsteps nearing her. Someone grasped at her gag and blindfold, quickly pulled them down.

It was still dark. She could hardly make out a thing. Thrashing around violently, Laney hoped to loosen the bindings on her wrists and feet, but it was futile. They were tight.

Instantly, she panicked. Laney opened her mouth and started spewing insults. That was her first mistake.

"Let me go you German Nazi bastards! Didn't you get the damn memo, we won World War II! Why don't you go back to Germany and continue your voodoo Hitler worship somewhere else!"

Silence. She was met with silence. Until she felt a hand violently connect with her cheek. A sharp breath escaped her lips as stars flashed across her vision.

Angrily, she fought the urge to cry or scream. Instead, Laney squinted, hoping to make out more of her surroundings – that was her second mistake.

She looked around nearly screaming when she saw the room she was in. It was a dank looking dungeon, probably a basement, but that didn't make it seem less like a dungeon. The smell of mildew burned her nostrils making her almost gag. But that wasn't the worst part; there were jars of pickled organs and brains laying around.

Right in front of her that had a large array of torturous looking tools these Germans were flaunting. Chains were dangling from the ceiling, as if they were trophies of their pride. Cobwebs and dust were caked on everything in this damnable place. This really did look like an old fashion dungeon.

Before her were four tall, German men standing there with assault rifles and dangerous expressions plastered on their faces. One of those men Laney recognized as Mr. Bäcker _._ He was at the head of these men, probably their leaders.

He looked down at her with an expression of disapproval, but she didn't care. They were evil bastards for abducting her. Whatever their plans were for her she wasn't going to make this easy for them.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Mr. Bäcker?" She sneered.

He let out a low chuckle; it was so dark and cynical that it made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

"I am Mr. Bäcker. I've been part of an ancient order sworn to serve our master. We have blended into the ranks of Sleepy Hollow for generations, awaiting his rise once more."

"Your master? What the hell do you and your German half-wit goons want?" Laney growled, and that made Mr. Bäcker smile.

"Frustrated now, are we? Good." He started to pace around her chair, making her gulp. "You see, we heard some interesting information. Information about a certain woman surviving an attack from the Horseman."

Laney felt her eyes go wide, but she kept innocence and confusion in her voice. "What Horseman?"

_How is it possible these goons know!_ This had only been discussed between her, Ichabod and Abbie, no one else knew. So how did he know? This had to be some trick...

"Do you take me for a fool? We have contacts everywhere. We know what happened." Mr. Bäcker stopped to slam his fist on the table, sending torture tools scattering across the surface, and Laney felt herself starting to sweat.

There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again. "You survived an attack from the Horseman, it is a rare occurrence to even come that close to him and still live." He cracked her an evil grin. "Our employer returns again at the Quarter Moon or in four nights. He is eager to reunite with you once more."

Sweat was dripping down her neck in nervousness. This employer of his must be dangerous, obviously more dangerous than these men. But the word _reunite_ , now that was engraved in her brain. She had somehow met their employer before? She didn't remember ever meeting Hitler, or any German secret cult leaders lately.

"What do you mean reunite?" She whispered. Fear had a tight hold on her now, she was terrified to hear his response.

"Well, the Headless Horseman of course."

Laney shook her head violently. "No. That can't be! He's a monster. There is no way you can communicate with him!" Now this was some evil joke. What divine being had she pissed off to deserve this... this crazy delusion!

Mr. Bäcker let out a hardy, sinister laugh. "We have a being that can speak with him. The Horseman wished to speak with you, and so it shall be." He signaled for his men to leave, and that's when Laney felt terror freeze her to the core.

_The Horseman. Why. Why. Why. What could he possibly want? She was weak. Powerless. No match for him. Was it revenge he wanted? Had her survival shown as an insult, and now he was going to give her a gruesome death? Maybe he knew about her magic, and he wished to exploit it!_

Mr. Bäcker was staring at her intently again, his dark blue eyes undressing her to the very bone. "I can't see what the Horseman would want with you." He hissed.

She didn't respond, because in truth she didn't know why either. Instead, Laney examined her wrists that were now raw from the abrasive rope cutting into her skin. There was nothing she could do, there was no escaping. She was going to die in this filthy basement at the hand of the Horseman.

Mr. Bäcker headed toward the exit, after analyzing her. She was sure he had picked up on her shattered spirit, and felt it was contagious. When he reached the door that lead out of the basement he turned to look at her. A look of disgust was beaming from his eyes.

"Someone will be here later to feed you."

This was all he said before depart, leaving her alone with her fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will it be a rescue, or will Laney be confronted by the Horseman once again? Please leave me your thoughts on the latest installment, feedback is appreciated. Again, thank you for reading! :)


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